d All the Actionable Solutions

By the end of each semester, students/co-researchers had lists of actionable solutions, i.e. solutions that could be actively implemented immediately. Abigail shared:

The whole process of research then solutions has me thinking on a whole new level. It makes me want to make a difference within my group's school problem and also other

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school problems. I feel that solutions from all the presentations were actionable. The solutions I think should be looked into immediately are bringing back study hall for students and more references at school for teen moms. This way teen moms can have a little relief and can go to school and graduate, and a student can have less stress with homework and studying. (Spring 2012, Abigail)

Like Abigail, many students/co-researchers thought about schooling problems differently once they began to discover solutions that could improve students’ schooling experiences. In her reflective writing at the end of the Spring 2012 semester, Tegan wrote:

Our team has come up with some school solutions that I believe would be very helpful. We believe that laws should be more enforced when it comes to schools and education. Parents should be given the day off to attend parent teacher conferences. Another solution we came up with is to provide funding for college students from poor areas and more funding to state colleges. I think these are realistic solutions because there are enough school budgets to enforce this.

She also wrote:

After I watched everyone's presentation as well as preparing for my own group's

presentation, I found a few solutions that should be implemented immediately. First with my group, I think transportation is very important. The Board of Education should push to have more school buses available for those students that cannot make it to school by means of walking. Another solution I found that would be important is the one group three came up with, about having more daycares available for parents that wish to continue their education. I also think that solution for group 2 about bullying would be

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important as well, to educate students on different cultures and countries that are different from their own. (Spring 2012, Tegan)

In class discussions, students brought up failed attempts at this, for example, forced lunch time with people from other cultures or trying different food from other cultures. These tactics were superficial and did not provide opportunities for students to really get to know one another. They agreed that schools needed to create programs that encourage genuine and sincere

understanding, trust, and love among members of the school community. While presenting with her group in the fall semester, Sofi recommended that schools work to eliminate racism by “having an ethnic class, so they could teach about culture, religion, so everybody can fit in and learn about everybody’s culture. We also thought about strict rules towards demeaning others. Like monitoring classes, students in fights, bullying and cursing” (Fall 2011, Sofi). Gabe also wrote, with respect to ending the racism students experience in schools, “The solution we came up with was to make students learn about cultures at a younger age” (Fall 2011, Gabe).

Malina identified the following solutions: “explore better budgets for schools, fundraising, make college more affordable, encourage kids to reach higher studies, improve home life, parents and teachers need to have a more active role in children’s' lives” (Spring 2012, Maliha).

As part of their Spring 2012 bullying presentation, James shared their actionable solutions, which included that:

Schools should have peer mediation groups so that the bully and the bullied can talk to one another and work out their problems. Schools should have assemblies to talk about bullying and the effects bullying has on each other. Teachers and parents should become

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more involved in their kids' lives, ask them about what is going on in school, doing more activities together, and show them that they care. (Spring 2012, James)

Ashley wrote in her reflective writing:

Yeah, one of the problems, especially for the younger grades in high school, is drugs and alcohol. What I was thinking is forming some type of program, awareness club after school, to get kids together, maybe an education charity, working with youth to provide support for the drug and alcohol problems affecting all age levels to bring students the positive messages of personal care, trust, and drug use prevention. This would help by reaching out to students’ minds and steering them to the right path in the right direction, to engage them in the right path and the right direction, to educate them about the dangers and the consequences of abusing drugs, to empower them with the truth and the hope. So that’s what I was thinking about. I know it’s a lot. (Fall 2011, Ashley).

The solutions students/co-researchers discovered and recommended could be

immediately implemented. Many of these solutions encourage connectedness among students, teachers, parents, and other school and community members. Students/co-researchers also stressed the importance of cultivating open, respectful dialogue and programs that assist students while they work to understand societal problems and become informed and caring members of their community. Without these solutions, many students will continue to journey through their schools lost, confused, and isolated from people who could make a positive difference in their lives.